Friday, February 4, 2011

Christ the Same


Apparently, I've badly underestimated how devastating the news about a certain exorcist priest has been to many faithful Catholics, including my dear elderly priest friend. Some folks are sickened by the cover-up and the apparent blame placed on the victim. Truthfully, I don't know much about the priest in question, nor do I know any of the sordid details. I think I'd like to keep it that way. My elderly friend is deeply disturbed that a priest renowned for exorcising the father of lies gave in to the very evil he lived to expel. At his advanced age, I am worried it might be the death of him. He looked up to this priest and held him in great esteem. What can I say to him?

I hope this doesn't sound like I'm patting myself on the back, because that's the last thing I want to do where this topic is concerned. But in case I didn't mention it before, I came back to the Church right as the abuse scandal was heating up again. Friends asked me how I could return to an institution that had aided and abetted the violation of children by transferring abusive priests to unwitting parishes and then covering up their crimes. I didn't come back because of what any one person did or didn't do, except for One, and that is Jesus Christ. He is the same no matter what.

As I was watching the video clip I posted the other day of Jesus laying hands on Jairus' daughter, I thought of how everything He did while He was on this earth, He did for others. He never did anything for Himself, except pray to His Father. He never told His disciples to do anything that could be construed as hurtful or harmful to anyone. He spoke the truth, and He gave His very life for us. Though He shared our flesh, He did not share our fallen nature. In His extreme generosity, He instituted the Eucharist, so that He could indeed be with us until the end of time.

The other day, I had an awful headache at work, and whenever my head hurts like it did, I think of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns in expiation for our sins. When my head hurts so bad I can't see straight, I lie down on my bed with the lights out. I remembered something Jesus told one of the saints (can't remember which one) to whom He appeared. He said "If you knew what I suffered during my Passion, you would not be able to bear it." I thought of that when I had the headache the other day. Instead of being able to lie down while His head throbbed, He hung on a cross by His hands and feet, fastened with nails.

That's why I came back to the Church. Not because of any priest or bishop or other human being every bit as weak as I am. Just like the apostles in that rowboat, when we take our eyes off Christ, we risk sinking. This latest in a seemingly-unending barrage of scandals does not in any way change the nature of Jesus Christ and the love He has for each one of us, a love so great, we are told, He would have endured His Passion for you and for me if we were the only people left on earth.

Pray for priests, yes, but we need to do more. St. Therese, before she was no longer able to stand, would force herself to take a walk in her weakened condition, offering the trial for the intention of a missionary who was finding his burden difficult to carry. I must do more to heed the call of our Holy Mother at Lourdes and at Fatima:

"Pray and do penance"

Someone's eternal life may depend on it!

4 comments:

  1. I converted during the scandal, and had to answer those same questions. I said the same thing. I am also saddened by the current news, because this priest was one who stood on the front lines, and from our vantage point, was doing an excellent job. He told Sean Hannity that he would refuse him communion based on his views on contraception. I shudder to think Hannity may replay that clip if he decides to publicize this. Fox and Friends also did a very soft interview with Fr. Cutie not too long ago.
    This is one of the reasons I am going to quit watching TV. I know I will still hear and read the news, but my intention is to do more praying, sacrificing and spending time in His presence. at lest those things go toward helping all the worlds troubles.
    Sorry about the headaches. I totally sympathize. I am glad you don't let them go to waste, though ;)

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  2. ps, I saw your comment in The Crescat--you really have quite a relationship with your anti spam words! lol

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  3. @Kelly
    Wow. I went back and googled the exchange between Hannity and Father E. I always knew Hannity was a pompous ass, but can you imagine calling a priest sir instead of Father, repeatedly? How disrespectful! Typical Hannity though. He never directly addressed the priest's concerns about his beliefs on birth control but instead just kept throwing non sequiturs at him. Father E didn't go on the show to discuss the abuse scandal, but Hannity kept using it to distract from his heretical beliefs on birth control. Talk about hubris!

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